In North Carolina, you can vote before the election dayOn Tuesday, November 3, you can vote in two ways: in person during early voting or by mail. Both are for eligible and registered voters.

This guide explains how and where to vote during early voting and how and where to vote by mail, which is where the options are more limited than many voters assume.

What is early voting?

It's the 17-day period when you can vote in person before Election Day. This year it runs from October 15 to 31. Unlike November 3, you don't have to go to the precinct corresponding to your address. Upon arrival, you'll be asked for a photo identificationThe same as on election day, and anyone not registered in the county can register and vote on the spot.

Where can you vote during early voting?

At any designated county location where the person is registered. The official tool for finding them is the early voting site finder of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE).

“They have a tool where you can search for early voting sites in your county. I live in Wake County, for example: I type in Wake and all the early voting locations appear,” explained Joselle Torres, communications manager of Democracy North Carolina, Enlace Latino NC .

The list of polling places and their hours is also published on each county's election board website. The State Board's website has a language selector that includes Spanish.

Related:  How long does it take to vote in North Carolina?

What is mail-in voting?

Any registered voter in North Carolina can request a mail-in ballot, and no reason is required. The application is made online, on the ballot portal. from the State Board, or on paper with the official 2026 form.

You must provide your date of birth and your North Carolina driver's license number, DMV ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. The deadline to apply is October 20 at 5 p.m.

The ballot is marked in the presence of two witnesses or a notary, who sign the envelope. Without these signatures, the ballot is not counted, even if it arrives on time and to the correct place.

Where do I drop off my ballot if I vote by mail?

There are three places to return it, and each has its own deadline.

• If you're voting by mail, your ballot must arrive at the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on November 3. The postmark doesn't count; what matters is the date the ballot arrives.
• You can also take it to an early voting site, but only between October 15 and 31, while the site is open for voting. There, the ballot is handed to an election official, who safeguards it and forwards it to the county board.
• Finally, it can be submitted at the county board of elections office. That option remains open on November 3rd, until 7:30 pm.

What you can't do is leave it at a polling place on election day: on that day, mail-in ballots are only accepted at your county board of elections office. There are no ballot drop boxes in North Carolina either.

Who can deliver it?

Only the voter themselves, a close relative, or their legal guardian. The law defines a close relative as a spouse, brother, sister, father or mother, child, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, stepparent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law.

That restriction does not apply to someone who needs assistance due to a disability. In that case, they can ask anyone to return their ballot. Election boards keep a detailed log of who returns each ballot handed out.

You may be interested:  Mail-in ballot applications are down in North Carolina: why?

Where can I find official information?

• Days, times, and addresses vary by county, and even between locations within the same county. All of this information can be found at the site search engine of the State Board.
• Those who vote by mail can Track your ballot's journey by registering at BallotTrax, the NCSBE notification system, which is enabled 30 days before the election.
• Questions that cannot be answered online are answered by phone. county election board.

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Where and how to vote before Election Day in North Carolina?

by Patricia Serrano, Enlace Latino NC
September 28, 2026

Enlace Latino NC September 28, 2026 In North Carolina, you can vote before Election Day , Tuesday, November 3, in two ways: in person during early voting or by mail. Both are for eligible and registered voters . This guide explains how and where to vote during early voting and how and where to vote by mail, which is where the options are more limited than many voters assume. What is early voting? This is the 17-day period when you can vote in person before Election Day. This year it runs from October 15 to 31. Unlike November 3, you don't have to go to the precinct corresponding to your address. Upon arrival, you'll be asked for photo identification , the same as on Election Day, and anyone not registered to vote in the county can register and vote on the spot. Where can you vote during early voting? At any designated early voting location in the county where the person is registered. The official tool to find these locations is the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) early voting site locator . "They have a tool where you can search for early voting sites in your county. I live in Wake County, for example: I type 'Wake' and all the early voting locations appear," explained Joselle Torres, communications manager for Democracy North Carolina . Enlace Latino NC. The list of sites and their hours is also published on the election boards' websites for each county. The State Board's website has a language selector that includes Spanish. Related: How long does it take to vote in North Carolina? What is mail-in voting? Any registered voter in North Carolina can request a mail-in ballot, and no reason is required. The application is made online, on the State Board's ballot portal , or on paper with the official 2026 form. You must provide your date of birth and your North Carolina driver's license number, your DMV ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. The deadline to apply is October 20th at 5 pm The ballot is marked in the presence of two witnesses or a notary, who sign the envelope. Without those signatures, the ballot is not counted, even if it arrives on time and to the correct place. Where do I drop off my ballot if I vote by mail? There are three places to return it, and each has its own deadline. If you are going by mail, it must arrive at the county board of elections before 7:30 pm on November 3rd. The postmark doesn't count: what matters is the date the ballot arrives. It can also be taken to an early voting site, but only between October 15 and 31, while the site is open for voting. There, the ballot is handed to an election official, who safeguards it and sends it to the county board. Finally, it can be submitted to the county board of elections office. That route remains open on November 3rd, until 7:30 pm What you cannot do is leave it at a precinct on election day: on that day, the mail-in ballot is only received at your county board of elections office. There are no collection boxes in North Carolina either. Who can deliver it? Only the voter himself, a close relative, or his legal guardian. The law defines close relatives as spouse, brother, sister, father or mother, son, stepson, grandfather, grandson, stepfather or stepmother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law and daughter-in-law. That restriction does not apply to someone who needs help because of a disability. In that case, you can ask anyone to return your ticket. The electoral boards keep a detailed log of who drops off each ballot handed out. You may be interested in: Mail-in ballot applications are decreasing in North Carolina: why? Where can I find official information? Days, times, and addresses vary by county, and even between locations within the same county. All of that can be found in the State Board's website search engine . Those who vote by mail can track their ballot by signing up for BallotTrax , the NCSBE's notification system, which opens 30 days before the election. Questions that cannot be answered online are answered by phone by the county election board . This <a target="_blank" href="https://enlacelatinonc.org/donde-y-como-votar-antes-del-dia-de-eleccion-3-de-noviembre-2026-en-carolina-del-norte/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://enlacelatinonc.org">Enlace Latino NCand is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: "https://enlacelatinonc.org/donde-y-como-votar-antes-del-dia-de-eleccion-4.0-de-noviembre-0-en-carolina-del-norte/", urlref: window.location.href }); } }

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